Means for drawing wire and rod



M. HOWARTH.

MEANS FOR DRAWING WIRE AND ROD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, I9!!!- Itented Feb. 14, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

M". HOWARTH.

MEANS FOR DRAWING WIRE AND ROD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, I919,

Patilted Feb. 14, 1922.

3 SHEEIiS-SHEET 2.

1 14, 012117 0 1 flan Q2471.

M. IIOWARTH. MEANS FOR DRAWING WIRE AND ROD.

APPLIC'ATION FILED SEPT. 30, I9l9. 1,406,867, Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

IIIIIIIIII W 7 rs Aiiy MARK nowmrn, or PADGATE, waname'ron, ENGLAND.

MEANS FOR DRAWING WIRE AND ROD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application 'filed September 30, 1919. Serial No. 327,524.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I MARK HOWARTH, a subject of the King of at Padgate, Warrington, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented Improvements in Means for Drawing Wire and Rod, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to the manufacture by drawing of helically grooved W1re.

In the manufacture or drawing of helically grooved wire or rod according to this invention, a plurality of metal balls, three or more, are held within a metal cylindrical container, preferably of hard steel or ferrous alloy, the balls being arranged in it so as to lightly touch each other, but free to revolve about their axes in any direction, and supported or held in position against outward thrust by the container or case; and the cylinder or container or case is revolved, by which action the balls by frictional contact with the revolving cylinder, roll or revolve round the wire or rod as it is being drawn through the appliance, and a multigrooved wire is thereby produced.

The ball container or cylindrical box has at one end a removable plate or disc of say hard steel or ferrous alloy, against which the balls press when in use; and in which a hole is provided to allow the wire to pass through.

The machine or means for drawing wire or rod according to this invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, in connection with which it will be further described.

For drawing different gauges of wire or rod, different sizes of balls and containers will be used; and, similarly, for drawing helically grooved wire or rod, the number of balls used will depend upon, and be the same as-the number of grooves to be produced in the wire.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is an end view showing to a large scale the drawing means or die appliance according to the invention. Figure 2 shows it i in longitudinal section, and Figure3 shows artly in sectiona headstock or hearing,

with the die appliance in position; whilst .Figures 4 and 5 are sectional elevation and plan respectively of a complete machine, for making the wire.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates generally the die appliance, and 2 is its bearl lngland, and residing ing or headstock in which it is supported and revolves.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922."

The head of the die has formed upon it a tooth. pinion 3, which is driven at a high rate of speed by the speed increasing gearing wheels 4, 5, 6, the latter wheel being mounted on a spindle? which is the driven spindle of the machine, and which drives through bevel gearing wheels 8, and upright shaft 9, the rotary drawing "block-10.

For drawing a multiple concave grooved wire in which the pitch of helical grooves is say about 1% inches, the velocity of draught of wire will be about 36 feet per minute, and the rate of rotation of the ball die appliance about 2400 revolutions per minute.

The ball die appliance consists of a hollow spindle 11, having at its head the pinion teeth 3, and a chambered part 12 projecting from the front face of the pinion, and carrying within it a cylinder 13, within which the die balls 14 are placed and held; and at the delivery end of the cylinder 13 is a thrust plate 15 against which the balls hear when wire is being drawn through the die; and these parts 15 and 13 ,are'held in position by the gland device 16, which screws into th wall of the chamber 12.

The material of which the drawing'balls 14, and the-containing cylinder 13, and end thrust plate 15 are made, is preferably hard steel or hard ferrous alloy.

The balls will practically touch each other, "so that an aperture exists between them through which the wire, which it is assumed may be ordinary round orcylindrical wire, is drawn; and the balls also bear on the interior surface of the cylinder 13 against which they will be thrust by the round wire passing through the aperture formed by them (i. e. while the' Wire is being operated upon and helically grooved by-the pressure of the balls upon its surface in ing drawn) and the travel or revolution of the balls round the wire while it'is passed between them, is caused by the frictional contact of the balls and the interior surface of the hard metal cylinder 13.

From Figure 1 it will be seen that the section of the wire, 0, being drawn, is one having a plurality of concave grooves and externally cylindrical parts or ridges between I the grooves, the ridges being the parts of the round wire introduced into'th'e machine,

which are not operated uponby the balls.

Besides the manufacture of a concave multiple grooved wire, the die or drawing means according to this invention does away with great friction which is entailed in drawing 5 by the usual drawing'plates or dies, and is practically frictionless; andit also does away with'the costly preparing and the repairing of present draw plates used, such as setting, battering, now required for every fresh piece of wire; and the die or drawing means according to this invention may be used practically indefinitely.

To prepare the die appliance for work, the gland device 16 is taken in the hand, and the end thrust washer 15 is dropped into it, and the container cylinder 13 of the required 7 size is placed in position on it, and the necessary balls are then placed inside the cylinder, So that they lie in a ring on the washer 20 15, touching the interior of the die cylin der, and-practically in contact with each other, and showing an orifice as indicated at 20 in the centre. ,The die cylinder 13 is then filled with powdered soap, or waste slightly pressed down to hold the balls in position, while the gland device 16 is screwed or otherwise fixed in position in the chamber 12, and the end of the round wire to be helically grooved, after 80 being pointed, is pushed throughthe hole in the die body 10, and through the orifice between the balls; and after being drawn the required distance throu h it, is then attached to the rotary drawing block 10 in 85 the usual way, and the machine started.

Of course for difl'erent sizes of wire, different sizes of cylinders 13 and thrust plates 15, will be introduced and used in the chamber 12; and the gland devices 16 will be of bore and concentric thereto, a plurality of balls carried in the sleeve, a packing element in the sleeve for holding the balls in position, a thrust plate formed with a central opening mounted over the open end of the sleeve, and a locking member having threaded engagement with the body memher and formed with a central opening, for locking the sleeve and thrust plate in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my named to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARK HOWARTH.

Witnesses:

SOMERVILLE GOODALL, ELSIE E. JORDAN. 

